I Promised You: FFII: Crimson Butterflies
by Rikkumorningstar
Summary: Mayu failed to escape and Sai forced Mio out of the village. But Mio made a promise to Mayu and she intended to keep it even if it meant going back and becoming trapped forever within the village from Hell...
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

She ran through the dimly lit hall, blindly turning every corner and when she found the stairs, she had to bite back a cry of joy. Without the bright glow of her flashlight, however, the many flights of stairs were cloaked in darkness and seemed to have no end to them.

She shivered and hesitated a moment…that's when she heard, off in the distance, the sound of hysterical laughter. Sai was very close. But without light, she could not tell where she was coming from or if she was already standing next to her.

Mio's heart was beating so loudly, she feared that it would give away her position. So, she took a deep breath and then blindly ran down the stairs, praying that the vengeful spirit would not be waiting for her at the bottom.

She could hear her sister's voice in her head, "You should not have come back, Mio!" Mio grimaced and replied, a slight tremor in her voice, "I had to, Mayu. I swore I would always take care of you."

The hysterical laughter was back and it startled her so badly that she just about fell down the remaining two flights. But she quickly regained her balance and swiftly dashed down the final flight.

Once she reached the bottom, she dared not stop but continued to run until she arrived at the room that she and Mayu had always gone to, to escape the many vengeful ghosts that were also trapped in The Lost Village.

The first time Mio had come to this haunted village, she had had her older sister Mayu with her. But Mayu had been captured and Mio had been _forced_ to leave. She had had a short encounter with Sai and suddenly she was back at the small river in the woods, sitting on a large rock as though she had never been _to_ the village…but…she had been sent back alone. Mayu was still trapped at the haunted mansion and Mio was not about to just leave her there…so she went back.

But, now that she WAS back and was on the run from the most deadly of all the evil spirits haunting the halls and streets…she was beginning to lose faith in the chance of her success in saving her sister, Mayu, or now…even herself.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Mio crouched down and leaned against the wall opposite the door she had used to enter the room. She stared at it and listened intently for the warning of Sai's approach. But the warning never sounded. She let herself slouch to the floor and let out a sigh of relief, only then realizing she had been holding her breath.

She rose back to her feet and wandered over to a large trunk she remembered and hoped still had batteries and other supplies locked within it. Mio knelt before it and gently pulled a silver chain out from under her shirt. An antique golden key with two crescent moons welded to its handle was linked to the chain.

"Good thing I kept THIS," she thought as she leaned forward and stuck the key into the lock.

The soft click as she turned the key was like music to her ears. She quickly slid the key back under her shirt and yanked the trunk open. Mio was angered by the fact that the light from the moon coming through the window was not enough for her to see what was inside.

"Damn eyes take too long to adjust," she muttered to herself.

She slowly reached into the trunk and started to feel around for the batteries.

"Please don't let there be any sharp objects in here," she said to the room.

She felt a package that might contain batteries. She quickly grabbed it out and opened it. Sure enough…they WERE batteries and were thankfully the kind her flashlight used. Mio unscrewed the top of her light and placed the three required batteries into the slot and quickly screwed the top back in place.

She clicked it on and the instant beam of light gave her a strong sense of renewed faith and courage. She stood back up and shined the light around the room and then nearly dropped the flashlight in a sudden strike of terror. The hysterical laughter was back, bringing with it an extreme cold. Mio whimpered and quickly glanced around the room, but could not see Sai anywhere.

She ran to the door, not wanting to wait for her to appear. But just as she neared it, an unseen force warded her off, throwing her back to the floor.

"Mio! You can't go out there!" said Mayu's frantic voice in her head. "She'll find you!"

Mio slouched against the wall and slid to the floor as all her resolve and courage drained from her. She wrapped her arms around her knees and lowered her gaze to the floor and finally let the tears she had been holding back up till now release from her eyes in defeat…she was trapped.


End file.
